Stand for casket lowering devices



, 19 M. E. GOETZINGER ET AL 2,980,980

STAND FOR CASKET LOWERING DEVICES April 25 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April15, 1960 p 1961 M. E. GOETZINGER ETAL 2,980,980

STAND FOR CASKET LOWERING DEVICES Filed April 15, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTORS MAAw/v E. overz/n/vs'e A404 ,4. A/E'AO 34 BY United StatesPatent STAND FOR CASKET LOWERING DEVICES Marvin E. Goetzinger, 4838Pierce St, Omaha, Nolan, and Paul A. Head, 2508 Madison St., Bellevue,Nebr.

Filed Apr. 15, 1960, Ser. No. 22,549

Claims. (CI. 27-26) This invention relates to a novel and improved standfor casket l'owering devices.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a simple and ruggedstand of this kind which is adapted to be readily disassembled andcollapsed into a relatively small and compact mass for easy portabilityand storage; and which, when assembled, can be readily adjusted to levelthe same on ground sloping in two directions.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a stand of thecharacter indicated above which has means for securing drapes, and meansfor supporting a grave liner across a gravearound which the stand ismounted, the supporting means also serving for suspending a grave linerwithin a grave.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention willbe apparent from the following description and the accompanyingdrawings, wherein, for purposes of illustration only, a specific form ofthe invention is set forth in detail:

In the drawings:

Figure l is a top plan view of a stand of the invention, in assembledcondition, with a casket-lowering device in phantom lines, shown mountedon the frame;

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 2-2 ofFigure 1; i I

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary end elevation taken from the line3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary horizontalsection taken on the line 44 ofFigure 3;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical transverse section taken on the line5-5 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a horizontal section taken on the line 66 of Figure 3; and

Figure 7 is an exploded perspective view showing the stand indisassembled condition, one side frame being omitted,

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like numerals designatelike parts throughout the several views, the illustrated frame,generally designated 10, is designed to support thereon a conventionalcasket lowering device, generally designated 12, as shown in Figures 1and '2, above and in registry with a grave 14, the frame 10 beingsupported or mounted directly upon the ground surface 16- around thegrave 14.

The frame is composed of two similar but reversed side frames 18, andtwo similar but reversed end frames 20. The side frames comprise hollowtubular perpendicular end posts 22, upper horizontal bars or rods 24,and lower horizontal bars or rods 26, extending between the posts 22.The upper bars are fixed, in suitable manner, to the posts 22 at thelaterally outward sides thereof, adjacent the upper ends of the posts.The lower bars are fixed, in suitable manner, at their ends, to thefacing sides of the posts 22, near the lower ends of the posts. Suitablyfixed to the laterally inward sides of the posts 22, at their lowerends, are vertical sleeve brackets 28. Suitably fixed to thelongitudinally outward sides of the posts, at locations near to andspaced below the upper 2,980,980 Patented Apr. 25, 1961 bars 24, areseats 30 having upstanding portions 32 spaced from the posts 22.

Slidably and rotatably engaged in the lower ends of the posts 22 are thestandards 34 of vertically adjustable foot assemblies 36, which includeflat elongated groundengaging feet 38 fixed on the lower ends of thestandards. The feet 38, as shown in Figures 3, 5 and 7, have at theircorners, downwardly extending pointed ground-piercing prongs 40 whichprovide non-slip engagement of the feet with the ground surface 16 atthe corners of a grave 14. Holes 41 are provided in vthe feet foroptional use of ground stakes. Suitably secured to the underside of thelower side frame bars 26, near the ends thereof, are hooks 42 forsuspending a grave liner 44, within a grave, as shown in Figure 2.

As shown in Figure 5, for locking the foot standards 34 of the footassemblies 36 in the posts 22, in selected vertically adjusted positionsnecessary to level the frame on two-way or one-way sloping ground, nuts46 are suitably secured to the facing sides of .the posts 22, betweenthe upper and lower bars 24, 26, around openings 48 in the postsidewalls, and locking screws 50 are threaded through the nuts 46 andthe openings 48, into engagement with the standards 34. The screws haveenlarged eyes 52 on their outer ends, through which are engaged eyes 54on one end of screw-turning levers 56, which hang free, when not in use.

The end frames 20, which extend between and are mounted on the sideframes 18, at the ends thereof, comprise perpendicular end bars 58,lower horizontal bars or rods 60, and upper horizontal angle bars 62.The lower bars or rods extend between the end bars 58 and are suitablyfixed at their ends to the end bars, at locations near to and spacedfrom the lower ends of the end bars. The angle bars 62 are longer thanthe lower bars 60, and have outwardly extending horizontal flanges 64which are suitably fixed on the upper ends of the end bars 58, anddepending vertical flanges 66 which are located inwardly of the end bars58. The horizontal flanges 64 have diagonal slots 68 in the corners oftheir free edges, as seen in Figure 4, in which corner portions of acasket drape 70 are adapted to be securably engaged for holding thedrape in place, over a casket (not shown).

The end frames 20 further comprise dissimilar lowering device cornersupports 72 and 74 at opposite ends thereof and at the inward sidesthereof, with similar supports at the same ends of the end frames. Thesupports 72 comprise segmental horizontal plates 76, having roundedinner corners 78, around which extend upstanding arcuate stops 79 forengagement by related portions of a lowering device, as indicated inFigures 1 and 2. The plates 76 are rigidly suspended below the level ofand from the angle bars 62 by means of horizontally spaced, verticalstraps 80, secured, as indicated at 8 2, to the inner sides of thevertical flanges 66 of the angle bars, at locations close to and at theinner sides of the end bars 58, and at 83, to the undersides of theplates. The plates 76 have reduced corners 84, as shown in Figure 4,which provide clearance for the end bars 58, and forthe end posts 22 ofthe side frames, when the end frames 20 are assembled on the side frames18. At the longitudinally outward edges 86 of the plates 76, areupstanding straps 88, which are secured to the undersides of the plates76, as'indicated at 90 in Figure 4, and have hooks 92 on their upperends, to engage outwardly and over the upper bar 24 of a related sideframe 18.

The corners supports 74 are similar to the corner supports 72, exceptthat their plates 76 are longitudinally elongated, to provide foradjustments of the lowering device 12, without changing the width of thestand 10. An upstanding longitudinal stop 79' is provided along theinward side edge of the plate 76, and an upstanding strap 88' with ahook 92' on its upper end is provided to engage over the upper bar 24 ofa related side frame 18. I The end frames 20 are assembled to the sideframes 18 by engaging related end portions of the vertical flanges 64 ofthe angle bars 62 of the end frames in the seats 30 on the end posts 22of the side frames 18, the end bars 58 of the end frames being firstinserted downwardly through the sleeve brackets 28 on the side frameposts 22, the hooks 92 and 92' being engaged over the upper bars 24 ofthe side frames, as the end frames move down into place on the sideframes. The lowering device 12 is then mounted on the assembled stand10, with its corner blocks 94 bearing upon related support plates 76 and76'.

If, upon removal of the lowering device 12 from the stand 10, it isdesired to disassemble the stand for transportation and storage, the endframes 20 are simply lifted off the side frames, the foot assemblies 36pushed into the side frame posts 22 and locked therein, by means of thescrews 50, and the frames stacked to form a compact easily portablebundle.

While there has been shown and described herein a preferred form of theinvention, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarilyconfined thereto, and that any change or changes in the structure of andin the relative arrangements of components thereof are contemplated asbeing within the scope of the invention as defined by the claimsappended hereto.

What is claimed is:

l. A stand for a casket lowering device having corner blocks, comprisinga pair of similar and reversed side frames, a pair of similar andreversed end frames, groundengaging foot assemblies on said side framesat their ends, said end frames extending between the side frames atrelated ends of the side frames, means removably and supportablymounting the end frames at their ends on related ends of the sideframes, and support means on the frames at the corners of the stand uponwhich corner blocks of a lowering device are adapted to severally rest,said support means comprising horizontal plates mounted on the endframes at the ends thereof, said mounting means comprising vertical endbars on the end frames, vertical sleeve brackets on the side frames inwhich the end bars are inserted downwardly, and hooks on the end framesengaged over portions of the side frames.

2. A stand for a casket lowering device having corner blocks, comprisinga pair of similar and reversed side frames, a pair of similar andreversed end frames, ground-engaging foot assemblies on said side framesat their ends, said end frames extending between the side frames atrelated ends of the side frames, means removably and supportablymounting the end frames at their ends on related ends of the sideframes, and support means on the frames at the corners of the stand uponwhich corner blocks of a lowering device are adapted to severally rest,said support means comprising horizontal plates mounted on the endframes at the ends thereof, said mounting means comprising vertical endbars on the end frames, vertical sleeve brackets on the side frames inwhich the end bars are inserted downwardly, and hooks on the end framesengaged over portions of the side frames, said erid frames having upperbars and said side frames having upwardly opening seats in which theends of the upper bars are engaged.

. 3. A stand for a casket lowering device having corner blocks,comprising a pair of similar and reversed side frames, a pair of similarand reversed end frames, ground-engaging foot assemblies on said sideframes at their ends, said end frames extending between the side framesat related ends of the side frames, means removably and supportablymounting the end frames at their ends on related ends of the sideframes, and support means on the frames at the corner of the stand uponwhich corner blocks of a lowering device are adapted to severally rest,said support means comprising horizontal plates mounted on the endframes at the ends thereof and extending inwardly from the end framesand inwardly from the side frames on a level below the tops of theframes, said plates having upstanding straps at one side thereof securedat their upper ends to upper port-ions of the end frames, and upstandinghooks on another side thereof, said hooks being engaged over upperportions of the side frames.

4. A stand for a casket lowering device having corner blocks, comprisinga pair of similar and reversed side frames, 2. pair of similar andreversed end frames, groundengaging foot assemblies on said side framesat their ends, said end frames extending between the side frames atrelated ends of the side frames, means removably and supportablymounting the end frames at their ends on related ends of the sideframes, and support means on the frames at the corner of the stand uponwhich corner blocks of a lowering device are adapted to severally est,said support means comprising horizontal plates mounted on the endframes at the ends thereof and extending inwardly from the end framesand inwardly from the side frames on a level below the tops of theframes, said plates having upstanding straps at one side thereof securedat their upper ends to upper portions of the end frames, and upstandingbooks on another side thereof, said hooks being engaged over upperportions of the side frames, said support plates having upstanding stopsthereon at their inward sides for engagement by corner blocks of alowering device.

5. A stand for a casket lowering device having corner blocks, comprisinga pair of similar and reversed side frames, a pair of similar andreversed end frames, groundengaging foot assemblies on said side framesat their ends, said end frames extending between the side frames atrelated ends of the side frames, means removably and supportablymounting the end frames at their ends on related ends of the sideframes, and support means on the frames at the corner of the stand uponwhich corner blocks of a lowering device are adapted to severally rest,said support means comprising horizontal plates mounted on the endframes at the ends thereof and extending inwardly from the end framesand inwardly from the side frames on a level below the tops of theframes, said plates having upstanding straps at one side thereof securedat their upper ends to upper portions of the end frames, and upstandinghooks On another side thereof, said hooks being engaged over upperportions of the side frames, said support plates having upstanding stopsthereon at their inward sides for engagement by corner blocks of alowering device, the stops on the support plates at one side of thestand being elongated crosswise of the stand to provide for widthadjustments of a lowering device supported on the stand.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,273,143 Bryan July 23, 1918 1,797,663 Lisle Mar. 7A, 1931 2,221,134Hanks Nov. 12, 1940 2,249,126 Gehlbach July 15, 1941 2,601,714 ConnallyJuly 1, 1952 2,870,519 Yeazel Jan. 27, 1959

